Greece has a rich culture that has evolved throughout the years. The evolution began with the Mycenaean Greece, and continued into the Classical Greece, mainly influenced by the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire, it successor. Greece has diverse culture and interests, primarily because of its location, and its division into the East and the West and the several occupations of the Greeks over time (Nagy, 2016). They are especially aware of their culture and discussed the affairs of their country with great passion. Essentially, they feel that the culture is the definition of their ethnic and national belonging. This paper discusses key aspects of the Greek culture namely politics religion, traditions, language, music, foods and drinks, geography religions and others; it explains how these issues have affected globalization as well.
Politics
The policy of Greece happens in the parliamentary representative democratic system. The prime minister heads the government. Theirs is a multi-party system. The Hellenic Parliament and the government have legislative power. From the restitution of democracy in 1974 and the Greek government-debt crisis, the liberal-conservative New Democracy and the social-Democratic Movement dominated the Greek political landscape (Nagy, 2016). The judiciary is an independent entity and different from the legislature and the executive.
The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Constitution of Greece portrays the country as a "presidential, parliamentary republic" that entails particular broad assurances of civil liberties and places the responsibilities of heading the state in a president who parliament elects. The structure of the Greek government is consistent with the ones present in Western democracies (Bremmer, 2008). Pundits deem the Greek government structures as a fusion of German and French models. The cabinet and the prime minister play an integral role in the political process. On the other part, the president performs executive and some legislative functions besides ceremonial duties. While voting is compulsory in Greece, it is unenforced (Nagy, 2016). Politics in Greece is frequently described as dynamic where long established political families control power positions. It is indeed true for the post of the Prime Minister, although there are Members of Parliament and Ministers who have no connection to political families. Indeed, most democracies in the world tend to copy the Greek parliamentary system of government.
Language
Language is a significant aspect of the Greek culture. The contemporary Greek language traces its roots to the ancient Greek language that is connected to the segment of the Hellenic or Greek branch of Indo-European (Nagy, 2016). The original Greek was discovered on mud tablets, in the ruins of the Knossos Palace of the Crete Island. The most ancient forms of written language in Greece were Linear A and Linear B.
Indeed, the modern English language borrows so much from significant aspects of the Greek language. According to Oxford Companion to the English Language, the impact of classical Greek on English is largely indirect, through French and Latin, and mainly conceptual and lexical. Estimates indicate that over 150,000 English words have their origin in Greek words. They include scientific and technical terms and some more common words that these. Words starting with “ph” usually originate from Greek, for instance, physical, philosophy, phrase, photo, philanthropy, among others. Most English words are constructed as parts (morphemes) that come from the Greek language. They include phobia (fear of), for instance, fear arachnophobia (fear of spiders) (Nagy, 2016). Micro (small), such as in microscopic that means hard to see. Democracy derives from demos (people) so that democracy means a people’s government. A good example of the impact of Greek language on the English language is the speeches that are written in English but consists of Greek word only. The only exceptions are articles and prepositions. Most English expressions used today are derived from traditional Ancient Greek culture (Bensinger, 2014). Greek mythology has greatly influenced the Western culture, especially the literature and the art. Predictably, some familiar expressions in English come from traditional beliefs and myths.
For instance, to have ‘Achilles heel’ implies that one has a weak or vulnerable point. According to history, Achilles was an important Greek hero and main character in The Iliad, Homer’s epic poem (Bensinger, 2014). Every part of his body except his heel was vulnerable. For example, while he was handsome, big ears were his Achilles heel.
Another common expression is the ‘Midas touch’ that derives from the Greek mythology. The expression shows an almost magical ability to succeed in almost everything someone does. It has its origin in the story of King Midas, who had the capacity to transform anything he laid his hands on into gold. For example, “John has a Midas touch with the ladies.” Every girl he touched became his.
The “crocodile tears’ is an idiom originating from the Greek antiquity and just shows some element of pretense and lack of doubt. The phrase could have stemmed from the fact that crocodiles weep whenever they consume their victims (Bensinger, 2014). The expression is used to show sorrows that are insincere.
Religion
The Middle Age was marked with the dominion of the Roman Empire and a strong presence of Roman Catholic Church. The paradigm shift to the contemporary age meant the collapse of Roman Empire and perhaps the rise of the Protestant Church. The rhetorical dialogue in the Plowman where Der Ackermann argues with death depicts the change in emphasis from God and religion to an apparent confrontation between man and death (Bensinger, 2014). It marks a new liberation, perhaps a paradigm shift from the Roman Catholicism of the current-day Protestant churches. The Plowman represents the dissatisfaction with the Roman Church that had many excesses which reformists such as Martin Luther were dissatisfied with. The fact that it was written when the Catholic doctrines were appreciated during the Middle Age attests to this fact. Most probably the death of Ackermann’s wife is symbolic of the fall of the Roman Empire and Roman Catholic Church that paved the way for the transformation of the church in England.
Resorts and Tourism
Resorts are believed to have existed since the Greco-Roman Empire. However, it was not until the eighteenth century that they began gaining considerable recognition. From this time, resorts gained popularity firstly in Europe; they then spread to America and other parts of the world. Over the last few years, resorts have grown significantly, perhaps due to the growth of tourism and hospitality industry. Today, resorts play a significant role in the global hospitality industry (Bremmer, 2008). In fact, some schools of thought maintain that the only reason for resorts is to accord customers a place where they can relax after the hustles and bustles of the day. It gives them a place to take a break with families, friends, and relatives. Perhaps the principal objective of resorts is to allow a new experience for users.
Many people are beginning to realize the importance of taking a break and rewarding their efforts. This could explain the tremendous growth of resorts over the years (Bremmer, 2008). Since their original days, resorts have endured the ever-changing trends by adjusting to fit the new needs and wants. This has led to creativity and innovation in coming up with new concepts of resorts. As such, major hotel products are infiltrating most parts of the world. As a result, in the last ten years, first hospitality companies have witnessed the significant transformation. To this end, tourism and hospitality companies have taken on a more ‘asset-light’ perspective to retain a competitive advantage (Bremmer, 20
08). Greek literature is among the most preserved forms of writing. The research covered everyday activities such as war, love, and politics. The Odyssey narrates Odysseus' 20-year journey following the Trojan War. One gets to understand Greece was a strong nation that succeeded in many wars perhaps due to their early civilization and economic prowess (Jacob, 2013). The Odyssey depicts positive qualities like bravery, honesty and patriotism. Much the Greek literature was across generations through word of mouth. It took Odysseus, the Greek hero ten years to reach Ithaca, in the wake of the Trojan War that lasted ten years. Many believed he had died. However, the firm bond of love between them kelp his wife waiting for him. This poem illustrates themes such as patience, real love, and great patriotism. The Medea and Oedipus poems represent topics such as fighting for the right of the society and casting away evil. It is about the good and the evil men in the community (Jacob, 2013).
Historically, the populations that once made up Greek included the Romans, the Celts, the Vikings, the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons. The Celts occupied Greece about 2000 years ago (Worman & Gilhuly, 2014). They belonged to the Iron Age; no records about them exist to date. The Romans lived in Britannia, which is the present-day Wales and England. Latin was the Roman language. They were great people who had a unique culture and way of life. They left little to be remembered about save for their ornamental and medieval architecture that can be witnessed in Chester, Lancaster, and Gloucester (Worman & Gilhuly, 2014). The Anglo-Saxons lived in Greece in the 5th century. They mainly influenced the spread of Christianity; emanating from Rome during this time. The Vikings lived in Greece in the 8th century. They came from Scandinavia. At the end of the 10th century, England was a great kingdom mainly endorsing the Germanic culture (Worman & Gilhuly, 2014).
The Normans lived in Greek during the medieval time. Greek culture then was influenced by Western Europe. The social stratification consisted of peasants, lords, and nobles. The Anglo-Saxons had a significant bearing on the English language; in fact, most of the English language today is derived from their authority. From 1536, Wales and England had a unified system of government. Through the Act of Union (1707), England, Scotland and Wales came together to form the Great Greek. From the 19th century onwards, Greece underwent massive changes in political structure, economy, cities, and industrial revolution (Worman & Gilhuly, 2014). This was due to the Victorian influence. Additionally, there was the question of class systems and warfare, significant changes in the family structure, and other values. Laws for gender equity amid others were enacted. Briefly, the people of Greece are diverse, and share borrowed and assimilated cultures. They have undergone significant transformations in culture, language and traditions.
Greece Art and Architecture
Greek paintings are important because artists such as Lorenzetti show that peace can only be derived from good governance. Nevertheless, the citizens also have a role to play. They must be part (ideally) of the governing system. Perhaps this explains why the painter uses different medallions to represent different situations, seasons and reasons that an individual passes through in their lifetime (Worman & Gilhuly, 2014). Citizens in as much as they may want to wait for the government to fulfill various pledges must also provide the labor such as “cultivating the soils.” This shows that good governance can only be achieved by the cooperation of both the government and citizens. By using children from different planets, the artist proves that citizen must work equally harder to create the conducive environment for good governance. One must act accordingly to help prevent instances of war (Worman & Gilhuly, 2014). They must act rationally with the voice of reason. This drawing is important because it depicts a good governance model that reverberates across various political divides and geographical boundaries. It is simply yet so elaborative of what real leadership and governance for that matter, entails.
The drawing is important because unlike another drawing before and during the 14th century; it tackles a question that other previous artists did not consider before: the question of civics and good governance. It talks about coups, political in-fighting, and other excesses of government regimes during this era (Worman & Gilhuly, 2014). Greece, a once volatile empire is used. So one would be asking: If good governance could start with Greece, then surely it can be experienced in every part of the world, Overall, the paintings are informative, reflective and an accurate representation of a free, peaceful and democratic society.
Conclusion
From the above analysis, Greece has a rich culture that dates several years ago. Greek culture has influenced modern civilization in many ways ranging from religion, art, literature, language, and architecture. The Greek culture has undergone major transformations to shape the world today. Most English words used today trace their origins to Greece. Politically, the concept of democracy is thought to have begun in Greece and later spread to other parts of the world. Overall, Greece culture and traditions influenced world religion, art, and politics.
References
Bensinger, H. (2014). Ancient Greek Culture. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Bremmer, J. N. (2008). Greek Religion and Culture, the Bible, and the Ancient near East. Leiden: Brill.
Jacob, B. (2013). History of Greek Culture. [N.p.]: Dover Publications.
Nagy, K. (2016). Greece. Our World.
Worman, N., & Gilhuly, K. (2014). Space, Place, and Landscape in Ancient Greek Literature and Culture. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.